Grandpa One-Shots
by MarenMary93
Summary: Based on my fic Grandpa. A bunch of oneshots containing Jack and Jake (And sometimes his younger siblings...)
1. Thinking about enlisting

**Okay, so… I kinda wanted to explore Grandpa Jack a bit more. But I wanted to do it in one-shot style…**

 **These one-shots are based on one of my other stories, Grandpa. Okay, hope you enjoy!**

"Shit!" Jacob burst out as he caught the sight of Jack's hand, "Grandpa… You're bleeding…"

"What? Huh?" Jack frowned and looked down, quickly understanding what his oldest grandchild was talking about. "Oh, crap!"

"Put pressure on it!" Jacob instructed as he pushed up from the kitchen chair he sat at. "I'll go get the first aid kit."

"Thanks Jake…"

"Just keep pressure on it, and try not to let Lucy or Adam see it!" Jacob called out from the bathroom, as he opened the cabinet to pull out the kit.

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"Ow, that looks deep…" Jacob almost whispered as he took Jack's hand in his own and studied the wound.

"Well, good news is…"

"…You can't feel it." Jacob finished for his grandfather, adding a trademark roll of his eyes for good measure.

Jack nodded, frowning at his still bleeding hand.

"At least I don't have to worry about nerve damage…" Jack sighed, biting down on his lower lip.

Jake looked up from Jack's hand long enough to shoot his grandpa a look. "How did you manage to slice open your hand anyway?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, bear… But I guess I felt anything I would have noticed…"

"Seriously, Grandpa…" Jake sighed, "Okay, what were you doing before I got here?"

"Tidying out of the dishwasher…"

"Any knives in there?"

"Dammit!" Jack cussed and smacked his good left hand to his forehead. "Must've sliced my hand when I took out the bowl…"

Jake looked over at the almost empty dishwasher and saw a knife laying edge up. "You know… A man in your condition should start noticing stuff like that…"

"It's not easy remembering that all of the time!"

"No, but you should… Unless you want me to become a regular paramedic."

"It's not even sure that was where I cut myself…" Jack furrowed his brows, "There isn't any blood there, and yet the counter looks like…"

"Like someone killed and gutted a small animal!" Jake shot in, "I know gramps! But deep wounds sometimes take a few seconds to start bleeding, you of all guys know that…"

Jack frowned, then nodded. "Kid… I'm sorry you know…"

"And I'm sorry Lucy and Adam DON'T know!" Jake bit back.

"What? That I'm a washed up agent and that their mom and dad put their lives at risk every time they head out to work? That their business trips often involves them getting shot at?" Jack growled in a low voice.

"That they don't know how badass the three of you are." Jake whispered back in an intense manner. "Mom, dad… They're not safe when they are at work. I know. But if something does happen, it's gonna happen whether they know or not. And I think we should let them know! Because it isn't going to matter whether they are killed in a 'car-accident' or on some secret mission. If they get killed, they are going to be just as damn dead either way!"

"Knowing is going to give your kid sister and brother nightmares."

"Yeah, and explaining how dad comes home with cast, slings or crutches is going to get easier the longer we wait? What?"

"It's not…"

"Or why mom sometimes have bruises and cuts?" Jake offered, "Hmm?"

"Look, I just think it's best to keep them in the dark for as long as we can… You remember how you found out?"

"Yeah… I was three and a half…" Jake locked eyes with Jack, "Mom and dad barely made it home from a mission in Prague. You had to sit me down and tell me that the three of you used to be superspies together, but that you couldn't do that anymore… That mom and dad still were the best of the best, but that it wasn't sure that they would get back home to be with me again."

Jack nodded, biting his lower lip as Jake kept pressure on the wound and fished through the first aid kit for a needle and thread.

"You didn't sleep that night…"

"No. Of course not… Both my parents were hurt, in a prison in a foreign country. Sleeping wasn't a priority…" Jake said as he pushed the needle in just beside the cut in Jack's hand. "Well, at least you didn't hit any big veins or arteries…"

"Jake… You shouldn't know how to stitch up wounds…"

"Maybe not…" Jake agreed, "But it's a nice skill to have…"

"You're barely sixteen…"

"Well, I hardly think that knife cared about that…" Jake snickered, "And it has come in helpful on at least two camping trips, and a few times when you forget to watch out for your right hand…"

Jack couldn't do anything but agree.

"Besides, it will probably come in handy when I join the army…"

"You thinking 'bout joining the army?"

Jake nodded.

"Not to crush your dreams, but you know that will send you to war? Right?"

"Of course I know that grandpa…"

Jack tapped his lower lip between his teeth for a moment, before he asked the question on his mind. "Bear, are you really sure you want that?"

"Yeah."

"It's war…"

"I know that…"

"You're going to see some things that will haunt you… Take away your sleep…" Jack said, barely above whisper.

"I know what I'll be signing up for…"

"I don't think you do…" Jack said, his eyes locked on his own shoes. "Look, you might get lucky if you do… But… Most soldiers who have seen real war… We get… Problems…"

Jake nodded, as his hands kept busy with stitching up the wound. "I know that Jack…"

"No, you don't…"

"Gramps… I've heard you have nightmares…" Jake said, trying to look Jack in the eyes. But Jack still had his gaze locked on his shoes. "I know I'll probably end up having that too…"

"You'll probably see friends, close friends –like family-, die…" Jack whispered, his eyes no longer focused.

Jake took a deep breath, he didn't say anything.

"Jake… You know how much pride I took in my work…How big a part of me it was…" Jack ran his tongue over his lip. "But… A smart guy like you... You should do something else, something safer."

"Why? Because I've inherited some good IQ from either mom or dad?" Jake asked with a hard tone, "You know that's not a good reason!"

Jack looked around the room, his eyes darting between the floor, the walls, the kitchen table, the ceiling. Before they eventually landed on Jake.

"I know…" he whispered, "But honestly… I don't want you to go…"

"Why?"

"Because your my grandson! That's why! And because I've seen war up close and personal a few times, and I know that there is no guarantee to make it back!" Jack rattled away, "I don't want to lose you!"

"Look, it's still a few years until I can enlist. Things might have calmed down by then…"

Jack shook his head. "There's no such thing as it calming down…You get a few slow years once in a blue moon, but eventually… Things start back up again, and it only gets worse…"

"So, if you were able to go back to when you were 18, you wouldn't have enlisted?"

"Hell no! Of course I would enlist! It was the right thing to do, and it brought me here!"

"And you just killed your case!" Jake grinned, "You know that?"

"Shit…"

"There, all done... Stay away from sharp objects… And help me clean up this mess…" Jake smirked as he gestured to all the blood all over the kitchen counter and some of the floor.

 **Following chapters will be tossed all over the timeline, hahah! Enjoy!**


	2. First time they met

**Okay, so… Here comes another one!**

"Awww… Look how cute he is!" Jack's voice was uncharacteristically high pitched as he almost skipped over to Riley's bed to see her newborn son, his grandson.

"He is, isn't he?" Mac murmured, leaning on the bed. He had that dopey love-filled expression that all new parents get, plastered all over his face. Riley had the same.

"Most perfect little boy ever…" she whispered, running gentle fingers over the little one's back.

The little one stretched and made a soft noise, making all of the four grown-ups aw.

"I'm telling ya… He's going to have the ladies wrapped around his little finger…" Jack chuckled, "Or the boys… Depending what he'll be into… Maybe both?"

Riley smiled and Mac chuckled, all four of the adults keeping their eyes on the baby.

"One thing is for certain, Jacob sure has us wrapped around his little finger." Riley whispered, looking up at the two men, then at her mother.

"He's a very handsome young fella…" Diane added, tilting her head.

Jack nodded, leaning over the bed in the same way Mac did.

"You want to hold him?" Riley asked, looking up at Jack.

"Of course!" Jack grinned, "It was Jacob? Right?"

Riley nodded, as she handed her son over to Jack.

"Hi there, Jake…" Jack smiled as he guided the infant to rest against his left arm, "I'm Jack, I'm your grandpa… I'm going to take you out fishing and learn you how to throw a football. And how to pull a wheelie…"

"I think it's a little early to start talking about learning him to pull wheelies…" Mac chuckled, "But I'm sure he's going to hold you to those words when he learns about them…"

Jack grinned widely.

"Now, little guy… I brought you something…" Jack started, and reached for something in the pocket on his thigh. "It's –ow, dammit…"

"Wrist?" Mac asked.

Jack nodded and trapped his right hand under his thigh and pulled on his wrist. His grimace faded, and he released his right hand, gently flexing and extending his fingers. Then he reached out for his pocket again.

"It's a plushie… A purple bunny plushie…" Jack explained, wiggling the plushie in front of Jacob. "I bet you'll like it when you get old enough to enjoy it… Give it a few months…"

"I don't doubt it…" Mac grinned, enjoying how Jack acted.

"Maybe you should quit your job? Retire?" Diane suggested as she walked around the bed to come over to Jack, "We could be full-time baby sitters…"

Jack met Diane's eyes, "Now, honey… You know I can't do that…"

"Why not?" Diane sighed, but there were no anger. "That wrist of yours isn't getting any better… And you deserve to retire…"

Jack chuckled lightly, "I might deserve it, but who'd look after these two when they're on missions then?"

"You're going to ruin yourself…" Diane warned.

"Maybe, maybe not…" Jack shrugged, "But I'm going to do my job as long as I'm able…"

Diane sighed again, "I know that sweetheart… I just… I feel like I've seen you hurt a little too much lately… And your wrist has been bothering you more than it used to…"

"It'll pass…" Jack assured her, "Just hit a rough patch, I've been through that before…"

Diane nodded, then she looked down at her grandson. "I can't wait to spend a lot of time with this little bear…"

"Bear…" Jack grinned, "I think Jake here just got his first nickname…"

"It might be the first, but knowing the two of you, it certainly won't be the last…" Riley laughed, rolling her eyes dramatically.

 **Okay… As I mentioned, one-shots will be ALL OVER THE TIMELINE!**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Overseas

**Okay… Here comes another chapter. Jake is about 19/20 or something in this one… He's on his first tour…**

"Grandpa…?" Jake exhaled into the phone, his voice shaking a bit. "Grandpa?"

"Ace… How are you doing son?" Jack greeted on the other end of the line. He noticed how fragile Jake's voice seemed through the static of the phone.

"I'm good, Pop…" Jake answered, but it was merely a reflex. Like he had rehearsed those words over and over again.

"Sorry to break it to ya, but you don't sound good. Hell, you don't even sound _fine…_ " Jack truth-bombed, "Kid, how's it going over there? Are you sleeping any? Remember to eat? Need me to come over and kick some ass?"

Jake let out a short laugh at the offer. The thought of his 75-year young grandpa coming over to fight for him, it was comic. That being said, Jake was sure Jack still could kick some decent ass. He sure as heck didn't want to go up against the man himself, and not because he could end up hurting the older man. No. Because he was afraid to get his ass handed to him in the most painful way.

"No, nah… It's fine…" he finally pressed out, "Thanks for the offer, but I think they need you back home…"

"You sure?" Jack asked, "It's a long time since I saw any real action…"

"Yeah, I'm sure…"

"Okay, good…"

"Good..."

"So, what's eating ya?" Jack pressed, "And don't say nothing, cause I've been where you are. And I've seen what you see…"

"Okay…" Jake answered in a shaky voice, "It's just that… Yesterday… -Let's just say an OP went sideways…"

"Oh…" Jack almost whispered, before he found his voice again. "How bad?"

"Three casualties in my team, four more hurt. Me and Kessler were the only two not to get injured."

"Kid, there is no such thing as an uninjured soldier…" Jack sighed, pressing the knuckles of his paralyzed hand against his eyes. The fixed wrist allowed him that. "You might not have a scar to show for it, but… Sometimes that would have been better…"

"You sure about that?"

Jack chuckled grimly, "Yeah, at least that's my personal experience…"

The static in the phone kicked up a notch then settled again.

"I hear the phones over there hasn't been updated since my first tour…" Jack baited, hoping to hear his grandson laugh. If only for a couple of seconds.

"Nah… Still the same old relics…" Jake smiled, "Wouldn't be surprised if these things were used when Fred Flintstone ran around in his foot-driven car…"

That made Jack laugh, "It's three more months? Right?"

"Yeah, Gramps…" Jake sighed, "Three more months, and right now three more hours seem too much…"

"I know…"

"How many tours was it you did?" Jake asked, "It was a bunch? Right?"

"Counting tours that were cut short too?"

"Yeah…"

"32… Most of them were 6 months at a time, and I never stayed home long…"

"Why?" Jake asked, "How did you do it? I'm barely making it through my first…"

"Yeah, I struggled during my first one too… But then I got home, and I signed up for another tour…"

"How could you even consider that? Didn't you remember all the shit that went on?"

"Yeah… Yeah I did…" Jack sighed, memories starting to flood his mind. "But I also remembered my brothers, and I remembered the rush… And I felt like I owed it so someone…"

"To who?"

"Still not sure about that…" Jack admitted, "Now, on my second tour, I got injured. Physically. And it was pretty bad…"

"What injury was that?"

"Got shot five times in the shoulder… FYI, that sucked!"

Jake chuckled lightly, "You don't say?"

"Yeah…" Jack grinned into the phone, "I was shipped home. Once I healed, I didn't feel like I fit in with anyone… I couldn't go out for drinks with my buddies back home, cause… At that point in time, I couldn't hold back… I ended up drinking too much, and I had episodes…"

"Episodes like…?"

"Like I didn't know where I was, loud music wasn't music and I held one of my friends in a choke-hold…"

"Ouch…"

"Yup…" Jack groaned, "One night, I went to a bar. Alone. I ended up sitting down with this real old dude, a veteran who had taken part in pretty much all the wars between WW2 and Vietnam…"

"He must've seen some shit…"

"That he had…" Jack nodded, "We sat and talked for hours upon hours. And he said this one thing to me… One thing that really stuck. He said that his worst problem was coming home, that his greatest problem was living peacefully. After a few too many rounds in the fire, that was all he knew, and that was where he thrived. I remember I didn't believe him then, but I signed up for another tour…"

"And?"

"And then I signed up for another 29 tours after that… Until CIA offered me a job. Then I worked for them for a few years. Until DXS, Phoenix Foundation, hired me…"

"Didn't you and my dad meet when he was in the military?"

"Yeah, we did…"

"But he was there in the early 2010's, and you started with the CIA before that…"

"Yeah, well… I did a few missions with the Delta force after I started with the CIA, but I wouldn't call it real tours… I was just hired in for certain ops by then…"

"Aha…" Jake nodded, "And if you count all those ops too? How many tours would that be, total?"

"Heck… I don't know…" Jack shrugged, "Many…"

"Was it the right thing to do?"

"Whaddayamean?"

"Do you ever regret?"

"Yes and no…"

"Okay?"

"When I wake up and my heart is racing like a jackrabbit on ecstasy, I'm sweating like a beast and I can't shake these images… Sure, I wish that I could forget or that I never saw it in the first place…"

"But I feel a but coming?"

"…But… Everything I've done... I believe I've made a difference, and all those tours led me to where I am today. I never would have met Mac if it weren't for the military, and I wouldn't have met Diane if it wasn't for the CIA…"

"You wouldn't have met Momo if it wasn't for the CIA?" Jake asked, more than a little confused.

"I met her in the café below my apartment where I was stationed. If it weren't for the CIA, I never would have been in California in the first place… I never would have met her, I wouldn't have met Ri… I wouldn't have become your grandpa…"

"So you think I should sign up for another tour?" Jake asked.

"Bear… That's for you to decide. Come home, stay a while… Try out a few odd jobs, then decide."

"Any word of advice?"

"Come home first, before you start making those choices…" Jack spoke softly. "We all miss you much…"

" 'kay…" Jake smiled, "I miss y'all too…"

"We know…" Jack smiled too, "You come home in one piece now, you hear me?"

"I'll do my best…"

"I know you will…" Jack said as he sat back in the kitchen chair he was sitting in, the half empty coffee mug in front of him was no longer steaming. "Hey, you want pancakes when you get home?"

"Only if you make them…" Jake chuckled.

"Of course I'll make them… I'll make a ten-inch stack if you want one!" Jack grinned.

"Can't wait!" Jack chuckled, then his tone fell a little. "I can't wait…"

"Hey, you'll be fine… I know it's rough, but if you need someone to talk to… I'm just a phone call away…"

"I relied on that…" Jake smirked, "But I kinda have to go now, it's dinner time here… And even though most of what we get here tastes like play-dough, you've ordered me to eat, right?"

"That's right son…" Jack chuckled, "Eating keeps your energy up, keeps you going…"

"Sir, yes Sir!" Jake chuckled, "Okay… Tell Momo and the rest that I love them…"

"I will…"

"Bye Grandpa…" Jake sighed, "Like always, I don't know when I'll be able to call again…"

"I know, Bear… Take care…" Jack nodded, feeling a ball form in his throat. "Love you, bye…"

 **Okay… So… Hope you enjoyed!  
Man, it's hard to keep ages in mind. Cause… How is a 75 y.o.? I've never been one… (Well, duh…) And All of my grandparents (those who are still alive) bears their age excessively well. (My 90 y.o. Mormor (Grandma, mother's side) has first NOW realized that MAYBE, just MAYBE, she shouldn't do too much heavy labor, like chopping wood and sawing down threes… Besta (85 y.o. grandmother, dad's side) looks better than she did when I was FIVE! That's almost 20 years ago! –Man, I hope I inherit some of their genes…)**

 **My mom, she'll turn 61 in about a month… She's badass! I took her out on a couple of big hikes last summer, and we only needed a few mommy-breaks for her to catch her breath. She makes me proud sometimes!**


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